FIG. 9.

Assessment of the regenerative potential of neurons following axonal growth arrest. Long ANAs were replaced with long isografts (“rescue”) at the area of axonal growth arrest at 4 weeks (diagram; A). (B) Representative images of nerve taken from a Thy1-GFP rat demonstrate axonal extension (green) into the long isograft (rescue) or without rescue (n = 4 per group). Red arrow indicates the proximal portion containing the original 6-cm ANA, and yellow arrow indicates the point of axonal front before isograft placement. Analysis of GFP intensity between rescue and no-rescue groups revealed increased GFP intensity in rescue spatial regions. (C) Neurons derived from nerve receiving long ANAs were harvested from DRG at 4 weeks after axonal growth arrest. “Arrested neurons” were cultured with or without Schwann cells: Micrographs of neurite extension from these neurons with yellow arrows indicating representative neurons. Neurite extension length was significantly greater for arrested neurons compared to naive/uninjured nerve-derived neurons (n > 50 per group). Means with standard deviation are represented, and * represents statistical significance (p < 0.05). DRG, dorsal root ganglia. Color images available online at www.liebertpub.com/tea